COLUMBIA, S.C. — Erin has officially become a hurricane, the first of this season, as it continues its journey across the Atlantic. The storm officially transitioned to a hurricane late Friday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles an hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

Erin is currently packing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, with a minimum central pressure of 997 mb and tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 90 miles from its center. The storm is expected to steadily strengthen and could become a major hurricane by this weekend – Cat. 4 by Sunday.

Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.

Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,

Tropical Storm Erin is approaching Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rains that could cause flooding and landslides

Hurricane Erin, the first of the 2025 Atlantic season, is forecast to become a major storm this weekend, bringing heavy rain, flooding risk, and dangerous surf to parts of the Caribbean and western Atlantic.

Erin continues to move into warmer waters and is expected to become a major hurricane over the weekend. The track continues to pull the storm slightly closer to the Caribbean, so some impacts are possible,

Tropical storm Erin is forecast to become the first major Atlantic hurricane of the year, and it could bring dangerous weather to the East. Here’s what to know. The first Atlantic hurricane of the year could be upon us.